Dubai to Abu Dhabi “flying taxi” commutes could travel between UAE landmarks Atlantis The Palm and Marina Mall next year, according to aviation specialists.
Designs for vertiports for the high-tech transport have been revealed and journey times as little as 30 minutes are being offered.
Archer Aviation has announced UAE-based Falcon Aviation as its vertiport infrastructure partner for critical locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Dubai to Abu Dhabi flying commute
This collaboration marks a significant step towards launching Archer’s Midnight flying car with Falcon Aviation in the UAE and across the MENA region as soon as 2025.
Archer and Falcon Aviation will start by developing state-of-the-art vertiport infrastructure at Falcon Heliport at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai and the Marina Mall heliport in Abu Dhabi’s Corniche.
Driving between the two cities during peak traffic can take more than two hours.
Archer and Falcon Aviation plan to offer passenger service in Archer’s Midnight flying car between these two Falcon vertiports, which will operate almost entirely over water with scenic views of both cities and clock in at as little as 30 minutes from take-off to landing.
Archer believes it is the first to announce a flying car service on this route between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, one of the world’s most prominent and congested commute corridors.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said: “Partnering with established operators such as Falcon Aviation, as well as the capital of the Emirates with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, has been key to quickly building our presence in the region.
“We look forward to paving the way for the introduction of our Midnight aircraft to the region which will set the stage for the UAE to become a global leader in urban air mobility.”
Falcon Aviation CEO Captain Ramandeep Oberoi said: “For nearly two decades, Falcon Aviation has been at the forefront of helicopter passenger transport in the UAE.
“Our partnership with Archer is a leap into the future, as we prepare to offer flying car services together in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, continuing our tradition of world-class transportation solutions.”
On March 8, Falcon Aviation also announced the inauguration of its state-of-the-art Renovated Heliport Terminal, extending its presence at Atlantis, the Palm.
The companies unveiled a vision of what the future vertiport and service will look like at what will transform into a key hub for Midnight flights, helping bring urban air mobility to the region.
The announcement reinforces the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year, where Falcon Aviation agreed to operate scores of Archer’s Midnight flying cars.
This venture is part of Archer’s strategic expansion, with the UAE set to be its first international launch market as soon as next year.
This follows a significant preliminary deal announced by Archer last year with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office which promised economic incentives to help accelerate Archer’s growth in the region as part of Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster.
Archer Chief Commercial Officer, Nikhil Goel, said: “We have made rapid progress in the UAE over the past three months since announcing Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be home to our first international Midnight flights as soon as 2025.
“We’re proud to be the first to announce plans to operate between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with vertiport infrastructure at both ends of the commuter journey.”
Archer’s goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60 to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10 to 30-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation.
Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.
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